“The coaching positions are still strong, but that could change.”, — write: football.ua
The coaching positions are still strong, but that could change.
Third place at the league stage means Slott’s side will play the second leg at home before taking on one of four opponents – Juventus, Atlético, Club Brugge or Galatasaray – in March.
Bypassing the February playoffs is a real gift given the staffing issues. When Jeremy Frimpong limped off the field early in the match due to a groin injury, Slott was effectively left without seven players from the starting line-up. Wataru Endo spent most of the match at right-back, while his midfield partner Ryan Gravenberch was forced to play as a makeshift central defender.
The calculation is simple: in six weeks, when the European campaign resumes, Liverpool should be in a much better physical condition. In the meantime, full concentration on internal affairs. A streak of just five wins in the last 18 Premier League matches left a bitter residue.
Still, it would be unfair to discount the club’s biggest European home win since December 2017, when Spartak were crushed 7-0. Especially since the champion of Azerbaijan previously beat Benfica, Copenhagen and Eintracht Frankfurt, and also took points from Chelsea. Liverpool have struggled more than once against more modest opposition this season, so the attacking freedom, pace and rhythm the team displayed at Anfield is something to be commended.
However, completely different matches will have a real meaning for the future of Slot. On Saturday — the arrival of Newcastle, and in another eight days — a fundamental duel with Manchester City. They are the ones who should either silence or amplify the noise around his prospects.
After last Saturday’s painful defeat at Bournemouth, followed by wins at Manchester United and Chelsea, the rumors started to multiply again. Liverpool dropped to sixth place – and the talk started with a new force.
Participation in the Champions League next season is in doubt. But despite all the informational pressure, the reality remains unchanged: Slot has the support of the Anfield management. The tension is palpable, but it is not about the edge of the abyss.
Currently, Liverpool have no intention of following the path of Manchester United, who parted ways with Ruben Amorim, or Chelsea, who cut ties with Enzo Maresca. Both clubs did receive a short-term boost following the appointments of Michael Carrick and Liam Rosenior. However, in each of these cases, the changes were the result not only of the results and quality of the game, but also of the broken relationship between the coaches and the club management.
In Liverpool, the situation is different. Slott’s relationship with sporting director Richard Hughes remains strong. It was Hughes who led the search for Jurgen Klopp’s successor in 2024 and was convinced that Arne Slott was the best candidate for the job. Belief in his coaching qualities has not disappeared.
Unlike Amorim and Maresca, Slot is a coach who has already won a Premier League title. And this automatically lends time and patience. The club is sympathetic to everything the Dutchman has had to face after a triumphant last season that dramatically raised the bar of expectations. The tragic death of Diogo Jota, large-scale personnel changes, due to which the club was already talking about a transition year in advance, as well as an endless chain of injuries – all this overlapped one another.
In addition, Slot works as a head coach, not a manager, so he does not have the influence over transfer policy that Klopp enjoyed in the final stages of his tenure. Therefore, complaints about the lack of center backs or the fact that Luis Diaz was never replaced cannot be addressed directly to him. Hughes and Fenway Sports Group football CEO Michael Edwards are responsible for the strategy and allocation of funds.
The idea that Liverpool haven’t entered the transfer market this month because of a reluctance to invest while Slott remains in charge seems far-fetched, to say the least. The club model, built on working with data, involves investments in the long term. Last summer, the only outfielder over the age of 24 that was signed was Isaac.
Until now, the club believed that there was simply no deal in January that would make financial sense, so they decided to wait until the summer. It’s a risk given the current situation, and it remains to be seen whether Frimpong’s injury will change the position. Ibrahima Konate is due to return from a personal lay-off by Saturday, Joe Gomez remains a slim chance of recovery and Curtis Jones is likely to recover from illness.
Despite all the attention paid to last summer’s spending, there is no question of disappointment. The understanding between Hugo Ekiteke and Florian Wirz, who both scored for Qarabag, is growing noticeably. Jeremy Frimpong and Milos Kerkez have also been added in recent months, while Alexander Isak and Giovanni Leoni are still difficult to assess due to serious injuries.
A much more serious problem than the adaptation of newcomers was the decline in the game of those who were supposed to pull the team behind them. Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Alexis McAllister, Konate – their effectiveness has noticeably decreased. Wednesday should have been a much-needed boost of confidence, with Salah snapping an eight-match clean sheet in fine style to score for Liverpool for the first time since November 1, while Mc Allister scored for the first time of his career issued a double at Anfield.
The management of the club does not turn a blind eye to the problems that spoiled the team’s performance and made it so unstable. Inside, they constantly ask questions – what could have been done differently. Even taking into account all the circumstances, no one will object: 36 points after 23 rounds of the Premier League is unacceptable.
Slott’s mistakes are obvious. This season, he does not always influence the course of matches as he did last year. But this is still the same coach who recently achieved peak results, and inside the club they keep faith that he is capable of fixing the situation.
The performance in the Champions League speaks eloquently about the potential of this team: 18 points out of a possible 24, including victories over Real, Atlético and Inter.
Slott’s pre-match press conference was mocked after he suggested that last March’s elimination by eventual tournament winners Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16 may have helped Liverpool win the Premier League title. At that moment, the team was ahead of the pursuers by 15 points with nine rounds to go.
In his role as a TNT Sports pundit, Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard called the statement “a blow to the breath for fans”. Aware of the negative reaction of part of the audience, Slot tried to explain his opinion after the match.
“Perhaps I did not express myself quite correctlyhe admitted. — This is quite likely. I was not happy about the loss against PSG and I wanted to go as far as possible. I meant that we have not faced any injuries since the flight. They are more dangerous for us than for our opponents, because Liverpool’s squad is smaller. People took it the wrong way. Next time, maybe we should speak more clearly.”
When yes If you give long-winded answers in a non-native language, as Slot does, there is always the risk of saying something ambiguous. Especially now, when he works under pressure, and every word is carefully weighed by those who demand changes and are ready to cling to the smallest mistakes.
Some also latched onto Slott’s words about Liverpool’s entry into the playoffs.
“We are glad that we immediately got to the 1/8 finals, especially if we remember that just two years ago we played in the Europa League and were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Atalanta.” he said.
It was not a jab at Klopp, who has taken Liverpool to the Champions League final three times. Rather, a straightforward reminder of the club’s European campaign before Slott arrived at Anfield. The former Feyenoord coach has made it clear that amid the chaos of this season, his own achievements have all too quickly faded into the background.
The numbers confirm this. Slot’s winning percentage with Liverpool in the Champions League is impressive – 77.8. The overall indicator also looks more than solid — 61.5%. Apart from him, only Jurgen Klopp, with 62.1% of Liverpool coaches, exceeded the 60% win mark — and that’s since John McKenna back in the 19th century. For comparison: Bill Shankly had 52%, Bob Paisley – 57.5%, Kenny Dalglish – 58.5%.
The Kop didn’t chant Slott’s name Wednesday night, but when he went to thank the stands after the final whistle, he got a response. In order for this connection to really come to life, much more serious tests must be ahead – and the first of them awaits already on Saturday against Newcastle.
However, within the club, Slot’s position remains strong. The support is there – and he continues to guide Liverpool towards calmer waters.
The Athletic